COSTA BLOG

Benefits of Eating a Large Lunch

Remember school lunch? There was nothing better than taking a break from class, meeting your friends, and chatting in the lunchroom for an entire hour. Fast-forward to now, and your lunch “break” probably looks a little different. Between PTA meetings, conference calls at the office, or getting the kids down for a nap, you’re lucky if you get to eat lunch at all, let alone take a break!

At Costa Vida, our philosophy is that a healthy body and mind can tackle any challenge. We know when you fuel your body with nourishing foods, you are preparing yourself mentally and physically to be successful every day! Lunch is sometimes the hardest meal to make time for because it falls in the middle of our busy days. To help you remember to make time for lunch this week (and every week), we’re sharing five of the many good things eating a big, healthy lunch can do for you!

1. Beat the Afternoon Slump

Your body cannot function properly without a sufficient amount of calories. Say no to sluggishness and mental fatigue and say yes to lunch! Eating a large lunch of whole, natural foods can help you beat the midday slump and have enough energy to enjoy the rest of your day.

2. Boost your Metabolism

When you skip a meal, your body goes into conservation mode. Your metabolism actually slows down to conserve energy. Eating a large lunch helps keep your metabolism burning all day long!

3. Improve your Mood

“Hangry” is a state anger and irritability caused by hunger. We’ve all been there! Eating a large meal in the middle of the day will refresh your blood sugar levels that have been depleted since breakfast and help regulate your mood until dinner.

4. Eat Less at Dinner

When your largest meal of the day is a few hours before bedtime, the extra calories you don’t use will be stored as fat while you sleep. By eating a larger lunch, you’re maximizing your body’s fat-burning potential during your waking hours. You’ll also be less likely to overindulge at dinner.

5. Avoid Unhealthy Cravings

Have you ever found yourself craving chips and queso, chocolate chip cookies, and key lime pie – all at the same time? You can thank the hunger hormone ghrelin for those cravings. When you’re stomach is empty, your body releases more ghrelin to increase your desire to eat. Eating a large lunch in the middle of the day will help you avoid and manage these unhealthy cravings.